WELCOME IN THE PUTZ/KOENIG LAB

The principle of cancer immunoediting allows a deeper understanding of the dual action of immunity on cancer. Whereas the immune system can detect and destroy transformed cells, the constant immune pressure evokes sculpting of the tumor that eventually leads to immune escape. During cancer immunoediting, the host immune system shapes the tumor in three consecutive steps. (i) In the elimination phase, malignant cells are destroyed by a competent immune system. (ii) Tumor cells that manage to survive immune cell-mediated destruction enter an equilibrium phase characterized by sculpting and editing of individual cell clones. (iii) In the escape phase, the edited tumors, which are refractory to immune cell eradication, start to grow and become clinically apparent.

Natural killer (NK) cells are highly cytotoxic innate immune cells and the first line of defense against physiologically stressed cells such as tumor cells and virus-infected cells. In recent years, novel cancer immunotherapies have reached clinics and have shown promising results. In particular, the clinical application of NK and T cells against cancer is an area of extensive investigation. However, the lack of sustained therapeutic efficacy and the development of therapy resistance are still challenges we seek to overcome.